Le legs d'Eiffel, a photo from Ile-de-France, North

Photographer's Note

The Eiffel Tower is possibly the most photographed structure that has been posted to TrekEarth, so trying to find a POV that hasn稚 been seen a hundred times before, and trying to find a title that hadn稚 been used a thousand times before, were two big challenges.

In an attempt to meet the first challenge, I resorted to my Nikkor 10.5 mm DX fisheye lens which lets you get in real close and include the entire structure in the frame.

I am sure this isn稚 the first fisheye shot of the Eiffel Tower to be posted, but browsing back through the Paris galleries I couldn稚 see one, so if there are others they must be buried in the archives somewhere. The closest I could find was a superb night shot taken by Alana Emery (alana) last month which she took with a Sigma 10-20 mm ultra-wide angle lens. Her focal length was 10 mm and mine was 10.5 mm, but the reason that I could get more of the structure into my frame is that a fisheye lens is constructed differently to an ultra-wide angle lens and has a angle of view of 180 degrees (Alana痴 Sigma lens, by way of example, has an angle of view of 102 degrees at the 10 mm focal length).

I took a lot of shots from different angles, and out of them all there were two that I liked best � the one above and another that I have posted to the workshop. As far as composition is concerned, I liked the angled shot in the WS better, but the original above is better for its technical quality. The one in the WS has a small area of burn-out which I couldn稚 avoid because of the position of the sun. The one downside to a fisheye lens is that it can稚 take filters on the front (because the glass is bulging like an eye) and you can only use rear gelatin filters, which means that standard polarising and grad ND filters can稚 be used with fisheye lenses. It would have been good to have been able to shoot this against a polarised sky.

PP for both images: Lightened shadows +5, darkened highlights +10, increased saturation +15, USM @ 250% (0.9).

My second challenge was to find an original title for the image. The Eiffel Tower was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel as an entrance arch for the 1889 World痴 Fair in Paris. It was supposed to stand for only 20 years, and then be torn down, but that never happened. Monsieur Eiffel lived until 1923, so he would have known that his magnificent 奏emporary� structure was destined to become a permanent symbol for Paris � thus I decided to call this 薦iffel痴 legacy,� which in French translates to: 銑e legs d'Eiffel�.

cuneyt-sb, rtome, Dia1943, oochappan, PJE, richtersl, axiotea, isabib, pboehringer, feather, fayeulle, Henryk_Bilor, capthaddock, chaity, Mondaychild, ChrisJ, riclopes, silycat, MJR has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Andre-H (1271) 2006-10-17 6:19

Hi David,

It certainly is true that getting a fresh shot of a so-often photographed monument as this can be tough, and although this isn't the most aesthetic pic, it certainly is interesting and different. The very, very wide angle shows the structure in a curious manner, and it's intriguing to piece it together in one's mind. Good idea!

A

cuneyt-sb (6576) 2006-10-17 6:31

Hi David,
good work i like it very much
Well done
Regards

rtome (638) 2006-10-17 6:34

Fish-tastic !!! :-)
Nice use of your fish eye lense, David! This is certainly an unusual shot for the old lady. The title also raises a smile, and the WS makes my head spin...
Excellent contribution!
Regards, Rob

GLEM (3004) 2006-10-17 6:40

hi David,

A picture particularly made a success by one of my favorite subjects. The composition is very dynamic.

Well done

Haymotion (2761) 2006-10-17 8:51

Utilisation du Fisheye a merveille !!
Bravo, composition tr鑚 attrayante..
Pas facile d'innover avec une photo sur la tour eiffel..
tu l'a tr鑚 bien r騏ssi
Bravo
Vince

Dia1943 (230) 2006-10-17 9:17

David, you certainly managed your little projecy well.

WoW! What an angle and excellent DOF.

Well done.

David

oochappan (4880) 2006-10-17 9:51

Thid fis-eye makes the view indeed very impressive, certainly by including the people under it, compared this one is the best presentation, you don't have to turn your head to see it like in the WS.
A unique well framed shot very clear natural colored and sharp, well captured.
Henk

stefanocer (10642) 2006-10-17 9:54

Just impressive , compliments .
Stefano.

Ulishna (2268) 2006-10-17 10:32

Hi David,
unusual and wonderful view! Very good idea with wide angle.
Julia

Rysia (26) 2006-10-17 14:04

Hi David,

Really unexpexted point of view! I like it very much!

PJE (20758) 2006-10-17 23:19

Hi David. This has to be one of the first wide angle photos of this tower. Your idea to capture the tower like this really paid off so nicely. One might be a little suprised over the curve of the terrain but the upward view really is magnificient. I love this posting of yours and it will be going into my favorites. Thanks a whole bunch for your global efforts and fantastic results. A winning shot indeed David!

Thanks for sharing!

ktanska (45056) 2006-10-18 2:59

Hi David,
Always nice to see new angles of well known landmarks. I like this one, the WS is maybe too much for me. First I wondered if it was possible to find a POV showing all four legs. But after reading that the idea was about legacy, not legs, it really doesn't matter.
Kari

Angshu (56760) 2006-10-18 3:51

Hi David
You've undertaken the challenge really well & presented us with this astonishing fish eye view of the tower. Yes I do like the WS better, burnt sky notwithstanding. Framed wonderfully & innovatively titled, this is a really wonderful all round effort
Regards
Angshu

vincz (19113) 2006-10-18 4:00

Impressive... "she" looks like a mammouth that way. Very interesting perfectly executed shot. Excellent title!!!!

richtersl (3546) 2006-10-18 8:17

Now here's a view of the Eiffel Tower one does not see very often. It's nice to see a fresh new view of such a world icon. Terrific POV!!!

axiotea (21651) 2006-10-18 11:39

Hi david,
A subtle title for that compo where the fisheye effect is working well. Good POV as well...
All the best,
Marilyn

isabib (1953) 2006-10-18 15:06

Hi David,

Athough this has been pictured many times, there are still alot of angle/views to explore. And you captured one of them. Well done. TFS!

vinicio (23423) 2006-10-18 17:03

Amazing image David, original and great tower's view, compliments, you show well in this image the tower's big foots, well done.
Ciao
Vinicio

flatwin (2181) 2006-10-18 17:35

bonsoir

excellente prise de vue avec un angle tres original

bravo

aRnaud

pboehringer (770) 2006-10-19 0:03

Mission impossible accomplished twice. The play with the words in your title is funny, at least when you don't understand french 100% as I do. "Legs" gives a double meaning and fits extremely well with your picture giving the view from the exposed legs up to the tip of the tower. Your post shoould not be only under architecture but also humorous.
TFS, Peter

feather (51130) 2006-10-24 11:26

This caught my eye for two reasons. Firstly the title - I know you did intend a play on words as well as the correct meaning, but I wonder if you know about Franglais. Many of us lazy Brits don't speak other languages, but French is taught in most schools half heartedly. This results in us knowing odd words, so we mix the French words we do know with English hence - Franglais. Le legs de Eiffel is entirely appropriate as The legs of Eiffel!
As for the photo - I love the effect the fisheye lens has created. I know only too well how difficult it is to find a different shot. I trawled through over 40 pages earlier this year, just of the Eiffel Tower, before posting my offering.
Kath

fayeulle (27827) 2006-10-27 15:54

Hi David
I had seen the Eiffel tower yesterday, travelling in Paris for my job, as each week ! This shot is a fantastic idea of this metallic tower but not the reallity. Despite of this fact I like it because of the amazing look and feel of the tower.
Really well done...
Cheers muy friend
JP

Isab (865) 2006-10-30 12:21

Bonjour
Le point de vue et l'angle est originale.
Bravo c'est une superbe photo.
Bye
Isabelle

fabio_ts (13696) 2006-10-31 4:12

Awesome shot David, the Eiffel Tower is a great subject for this kind of wide lens distortion, and you have used it in a wonderful way, great POV and very well composed, compliments!!

have a nice day,
Fabio.

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-10-31 6:38

Hello David
Great capture. I haven`t seen this tower from such a perspective before. And I like it. A little funny, but very intriguing and interesting. Good quality and excellent idea.
Regards

capthaddock (28790) 2006-11-01 14:25

Hi David - rare original shot of a famous monument, and a superb note as usual, the sky is blue enough, and does not beg to be polarised, the curved patterns of the structure work well with the fisheye.

Stepan (27210) 2006-11-01 17:03

Wow, I didn't know the Eiffel Tower is actually a mechanic monster, able to walk !! One of the most strange and powerful view on the tower I've seen for a while. Excellent.
St駱hane

jemaflor (148248) 2006-11-03 6:38

Hi David,
Original effect with using this particular lens, interesting result, good idea.

colinbrenchley (6431) 2006-11-05 4:10

David
Good shot it makes me want to revisit the site to try out my new 11-17mm Minolta lens. similar to yourself, my interest is producing Audio Visual shows - which nearly always require landscape format to look balanced. Then someone tasked me to include several portrait images and produced an AV of the Eiffle Tower which was a challenge, interesting and stretched ones imagination.
Regards Colin

chaity (1539) 2006-11-20 8:38

Hi David, I like the awsome view with the fisheye lens. A good and refreshing view of the tower in sharp and focus from bottom to the top. Well done.

Mondaychild (378) 2006-11-20 9:45

Hi David,

simply great ... this is something completely new (for me) - I havenｴt ever seen a photo of the Eiffel Tower from this perspective! It looks like a completly different building - not always the same stereotype "Eiffel Tower at Night".
Very brave - and very good!

ChrisJ (172436) 2006-11-22 3:38

Hi David

A fantastic fisheye result. My only criticism is the title. A real Frenchman would tear you to pieces. It should read "d'Eiffel". Similar to "a apple" in English should be 'an apple'. 2 vowels.

batalay (41261) 2006-11-27 18:09

Hello David,
A beautifully conceived and executed shot, indeed of the most photographed edifice on TE. Your vantage point has allowed you to magnify the width in distinction to the height of the tower. Warm regards, Bulent

riclopes (35577) 2006-11-30 3:39

Well David, you made an impressive work here. I don't think that there is many members that take a look at the archieves of TE, before make a post. I like the way you try to find original ways of showing the most known monuments of the world. I love the composition of your fisheye here and the title is perfect for it. It's really good. Congratulations!
I envy you for the constant traveling, but it must be quite an effort as well.
Cheers,
Ricardo

bantonbuju (51815) 2006-12-20 2:41

hi dave again,
a spectacular thing, i like when people play with their lenses as if they were toys, just to make fun, just to do things differently, just to give us yet another innovative/creative way of looking at things...just like here- the tower looks even more immense than it is, but it also looks slightly humorous - the legs stepping over our heads...
nice work,
j.

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-04-09 5:25

HI David, great use of the fish eye lens here!
i like a lot your POV!
one of them ost original image of Eiffel Tower!
great to see also the road!
i like a lot!
congrats!
ciao!
Valeria

silycat (611) 2007-05-10 18:12

Hi David!
I saw numerous beautiful and significant photos in you gallery from all over the world, I think they're great, I chose this one now because of it's unusuall POV and perspective.It's new way of seeing things and very delightful and creative.TFS!

Yves-triga (5149) 2009-06-07 9:35

Hello david,
very nice fish eyes shoot,
i like
congratulation for this shoot
well see
yves